Maintaining your authenticity as you journey through life is essential. Being who you are and loving yourself is the ultimate key to happiness. Often, after individuals go through treatment, they feel as if they need to hide that part of their past. There is a fear that if new friends or acquaintances learn about their history, they may not want to be friends. Sadly, stigma is still very prevalent. Sometimes these fears can become a reality. Learn to love your present, your future, and your past. You are who you are today because of the past you have worked through.
Treatment was not always easy. You may have questioned your strength and dedication at times. However, you accomplished your goal of sobriety and probably learned a good deal about yourself and your mental health along the way. Remain authentic because you are a great person and can help so many others as they take the steps towards sobriety. Here are a few tips to help maintain your authenticity as you live your best and sober life.
Keep a Journal
Journaling is a great way to express your feelings. Life gets stressful, and recovery can consume your life just as addiction did. While recovery is an integral part of your life, it is not your entire life. You are not simply a person who has overcome addiction. There is a lot more to you than just a past. Write about your worries, your feelings, how your day went. Write about your triggers and how you have managed to face them with determination.
Journaling can help you maintain your authenticity by giving you an outlet to express yourself in its truest form. Sometimes you may not feel comfortable talking about what you are feeling. Writing gives you a way to release those emotions. You then can choose whether or not you want to share those feelings or emotions with others.
Use Affirmations
Affirmations are essential during recovery. Reminding yourself of your worth, skills, or intelligence is something that everyone needs to do. Maintaining your recovery may not always be easy, but you are always capable of it. You have worked so hard, and now you get to reap the reward.
If you are struggling to remain positive throughout your journey, try affirmations every morning. If you can start the day on a positive note, it can help sustain that positivity throughout the entire day.
Focus On Your Journey
Recovery can be an arduous journey, one that is lifelong. You will experience negative moments, positive moments, challenges, and joy throughout the process of maintaining sobriety and working on your overall well-being. At times you may find yourself noticing other people’s recovery journeys. You may see social media posts and compare yourself to them. It can be hard on self-esteem when you do not match up with what you see online. It can influence your choices and propel you in different directions. It is important to remember that social media can be dangerous for those struggling with mental health issues. Social media shows you perfection because others can choose what they show and what they hide.
Remaining authentic means you are acknowledging your true journey. It has not been completely sunshine and rainbows, and that is perfectly okay. If you are sharing your journey, share the good and the bad. Being authentic means telling the truth about how you really feel, what you have gone through, and where you hope your goals will take you. You never know who will hear your story, and you have a real power to help other people through the tough times they are going through.
Acknowledge Your Struggles
Your struggles are beautiful. We have all struggled in many different areas of life. If you meet someone who appears never to have struggled, they may lack the confidence to be authentic. At times it can feel scary to talk about your struggles. It may feel as if those struggles will jump back into your present, and you will need to work through them again. Try to fight this fear. You are capable of leaving the past in the past, even when you talk about it. You have learned a great deal in treatment, both about your addiction and yourself as a whole. Have confidence in knowing your sobriety is stable enough to talk about. You are capable of living the life you have always dreamed of.
Remaining authentic through your recovery is admirable. Remembering who you are, what you have gone through, and where you plan to go is powerful. Sometimes when our past includes addiction, our response is to try to hide that past. We may pretend it never existed and that we have always lead a healthy and productive lifestyle. While this may work for you in the short term, it is probably not healthy in the long term. Acknowledging how far you have come and the challenges you have overcome is powerful. Try to journal your feelings if you are struggling to vocalize them. Surround yourself with those who support you and help you along your path. Here at The Guest House, we know how hard it can be to maintain constant vigilance regarding your sobriety. We are here to help. We are ready to support you as you face challenges and continue to grow as a person. Call us today to learn more about our treatment options at (855) 483-7800.